Characteristics:Skating:
Kadeikin is very big and has good balance on his skates. He is a solid skater, but not a speedster. He has good lateral movement and decent skating technique. As with most Russians, he is capable of getting the extra gear, but without much consistency and without having an elite top-speed. An average skater. Grade: 50.

Shooting:Shooting isn’t Kadeikin’s forte. He is more keen on scoring off deflections or rebounds, even if he can unwind a good wristshot every now and then. He’s more of a power forward, he likes to stay in front of the crease and battle in the slot. He’s not going to become a go-to guy at the NHL level, but can still get on the scoresheet. Grade: 40

Puck skills:
Less flamboyant than your average Russian prospect, Kadeikin is certainly able to keep and protect the puck, but isn’t a player who generally makes things happen in one-on-one situations. He can protect the puck on the corners or around the crease, with some efficiency, just not in a fancy way. A good passer, can distribute the puck without glaring errors. Grade: 45

Smarts:Kadeikin has a good sense for the game of hockey. He is an intelligent player, which adds up for his team thanks to his head and hard work. While he doesn’t have the best set of hands, especially for a Russian player, he adds with his great use of the body and an excellent attitude. He’s also a good passer. He’s not going to feed his line mates with behind-the-back, no-look passes at top speed, but he rarely misses a pass or a puck and knows how to distribute the puck to more skilled players or to players in a good position for a shot. He has also good hand-eye coordination to search for the right deflection and can be a good weapon on the powerplay as he’s able to tip the puck in after a shot or a rebound. Not bad on the faceoff dots, but he needs some work there. Grade: 55

Physicality:
Kadeikin is big and strong, and knows how to use his body, especially in the offensive zone. He’s not a big-time hitter, but other players are going to feel his presence when he’s on ice. He’s also very effective in front of the crease, when he can compete against the biggest players with his size and smarts. Grade: 55

General assessment:
Kadeikin is an intriguing prospect with all the tools to be a proficient bottom-six forward at the NHL level. He’s not a scorer, nor he is supposed to be one. While he doesn’t have a lot of skills, he can be very useful for his team upfront and even get on the scoresheet with his vision and understanding of the game.

CharacteristicsSkating:
Rykov is a good skater with OK acceleration and speed. He has good balance on his skate and his size helps him in resisting the opposition attacks. He has good agility and while skating is not his top quality, Rykov can definitely handle the speed of the pro game. Can improve, but is not an obvious hole in his game. Grade: 45

Shooting:
Rykov has a fast release and a solid shot from the point. Not a powerplay specialist, Rykov can still fire a good shot with good timing, if needed. He’s not a pure offensive defenseman, therefore he doesn’t have many scoring chances usually, but he can shoot and convert his attempts in points. Can be a good weapon in the offensive zone, if needed. Grade: 40

Puck skills:
Stickhandling and puck control are things that Rykov lacks to be a full-time offensive defenseman. His hands aren’t as soft as other more offensive-oriented prospects and while he can bring the puck forward, he isn’t going to get the puck on his stick a lot during his games. A good passer, can deliver good tape-to-tape passes without making many mistakes. Grade: 40

Smarts:
Rykov is a good defensive player with a good eye for defensive positioning and the opposition passing lanes. He’s also a determined player and this can be very important for a defenseman to have that extra bit to save his crease in the right circumstances. He has good vision at both ends of the ice, a quality that helps him while killing penalties or trying to get the puck for his team. A very intelligent player who can use his versatility to be effective in any playing situation. Grade: 45

Physicality:
A player with a decent size, Rykov can bring a good amount of physicality to his team. Not the biggest player around, he’s not small either, and can deliver some good physical play during a game. He needs to use his size more, and also to use it more to his advantage to win more puck battles. In his zone, however, he can become an authority if he keeps on progressing the way he is, as his good WJC play showed. Grade: 50

General assessment:
An interesting prospect with good smarts and decent size, Rykov has all the tools to become an NHL-ready player, but at this stage of his development is still a long shot. He needs to gather more experience and keep on working hard.

CharacteristicsSkating:
A fast skater with great agility, Buchnevich has a good first step and a very good to-end speed that helps him in being an effective hockey player with and without the puck. His agility is top notch and it can be seen with his ease in changing direction, even at top speed, and with his smooth stride. A very good skater all in all. Grade: 60

Shooting:
Buchnevich has a good shot with a quick release and he likes to unwind it, especially on the powerplay. He should add a little bit of accuracy to his wrister to become even more of a threat. That being said, he can score from pretty much any position on the ice, and knows how to be effective, even if sometimes he lacks finishing and consistency. Grade: 55

Puck skills:A great puck-handler, Buchnevich likes to play the puck and crash the net. He can make things happen if he has space and time, and sometimes even if he doesn’t have them. He can win one-on-one battles and get on a breakaway or organize an odd-man rush with the puck on his blade. There is always room for improvement, but Buchnevich’s hands are very smooth and his stickhandling ability compared with his great deal of overall confidence with the puck makes him a go-to guy for most of the teams he plays in. Grade: 60

Smarts:Buchnevich is gifted with an excellent hockey IQ and an excellent vision of the ice. What he excels in is in creating scoring chances for his team, both bringing the puck forward or feeding his linemates with excellent passes. His defensive play is not that great, but he’s an offensive player mostly and has time to improve. He has experience in playing center, but he is playing mostly as a winger in the KHL and most likely he will continue playing on the flank in North America too. Grade: 60

Physicality:
Buchnevich is not a big player, nor a physical one, but he can take hits and usually he isn’t afraid by too much contact, even if he’s not the kind of player who will get too much into dirty areas. Like for the defensive play, he has time to bulk up and improve in this area. Grade: 45

General assessment:
Buchnevich is a projected top-six forward in the NHL and has all the tools to become one, considering his skating, puck skills, and understanding of the game. The only thing that the Rangers have to get worried about is his will to report for the team, considering that he declared multiple times that he has little to zero interest in playing in the AHL and it won’t be easy for him to win a spot in the roster right away.

CharacteristicsSkating:A good skater for his size, Dergachyov doesn’t have an excellent top-end speed, but is very agile and can move very well. With his size he’s hard to knock off the puck, and he has very good balance and can take and deliver hits. All in all, a very good skater for his size and a decent skater overall. Grade: 50

Shooting:
Dergachyov has a good wristshot, but is sometimes (like at the WJC) reluctant to use it, preferring to use his physical quality. It’s not always a bad thing, but he could and should use his shoot more often. He has a good pedigree as a scorer in the junior leagues, and there is no reason for him stopping being one, even if at the pro level he has other qualities to use with a higher frequency. Grade: 45

Skills:
Dergachyov has good hands and makes a good pass, even if he is struggling to find himself in the scoresheet this season. He has some good technique and can bring the puck forward, doing it at good speed. He can also push himself in front of the net with the puck. Doesn’t have the smoothest hands, but he has good technique, can work with the puck and deliver good passes: Grade: 50

Smarts:
He is a good playmaker with a good eye for the game. He is a very hard worker and a very competitive player, willing to fight for every inch of the rink. He is great in puck battles, thanks to his size and perseverance, and isn’t afraid to go to the corners to get the puck for his team both in the offensive and defensive zone. He should use his good hockey technique more often. Grade: 55

Physicality:
A player with an NHL body since he was about 16, Dergachyov is a very physical player who can bring plenty of advantage to his team in all over the rink. He can win a lot of puck battles and plays a fearless style which should allow for a fine transition to the more demanding North American game. Grade: 60

Final assessment:
A power-forward in the making, Dergachyov has all the tools to succeed as an NHL player thanks to his versatility as he can play in both scoring and checking roles. He has also a good mental game, which is getting more and more important in modern hockey.

CharacteristicsSkating:
A fast skater with plenty of agility and a lot of maneuverability. Barabanov is a fine skater able to get to the extra gear when rushing with or without the puck and that makes things happen with his skating ability. He owns a very good stride and acceleration, but sometimes he lacks some balance, especially when challenged. Grade: 55

Shooting:
Barabanov can unwind a nice wrister, especially when in close range. Not the strongest shot, but solid and accurate, with a quick release. Like many Russian players, sometimes he makes an extra pass sometimes instead of firing the puck on the net. Grade: 50

Puck skills:
A player with soft hands and good puck skills, Barabanov can feed linemates with good passes or try to finalize himself. His hands and good puck abilities are Barabanov’s strong points and make him a good hockey prospect, at least on big ice. Grade: 55

Smarts:Like many Russian players, Barabanov lacks a bit in defensive play. He uses his speed to get back, but usually isn’t overly physical and doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about playing defense. He can compensate with his great vision of the ice and very good scoring ability. He is from a hockey family and always looked well prepared to play hockey at high level. Grade: 55

Physicality:
Not too small, but not much physical either. He still has time to bulk up or improve in defensive play, and he has to. Grade: 40

General assessment:
Barabanov had a very good WJC a couple of years ago and he has all the tools to be a legitimate NHL prospect. He is a skilled offensive player, therefore it can’t be considered out of this world to imagine some NHL teams chasing him once his KHL deal runs out in 2017.